I loved revisiting SCB’s letter from our book, A Year Between Friends, last week so I wanted to revisit my September letter. As we cascade into what people call the end of summer (I do not call this the end of summer since summer doesn’t end until the autumn solstice around September 21st), I always start to feel achingly nostalgic. For what, I am not sure. To that end, I noted something nostalgic and habitual in my September 2015 letter that I will share with you now. xo, MAV

I was looking up MAV’s recipe for quick pickles in A Year Between Friends the other day and revisited my August letter to her. August is always a tough month for me. I’m not a summer person, and by this time of the year, the initial joy of freedom from routine, long days, and sunshine has long worn off. I thought I’d share a portion of it here for those of experiencing the same August fatigue. —SCB

This year I have tried to use mantras in my day-to-day. You know, affirmations that you speak in your head (or even out loud if you like) over and over when you are feeling something uncomfortable (that something might be frustration, might be fatigue, might be annoyance, might be confusion, etc.). Here are a few of my favorites and the ones that work to calm and center me time and time again. xo, MAV